Birth Photography

From Kellie: I am so excited to have a birth photographer at baby # 2's birth!! Whitney sent me pics from her first birth session and the pics & video are so beautiful!! The bonding and teamwork between husband and wife, the love and support from her Doula & Birth Team.....to have actual images to go with those moments you re-live over and over in your mind....so very special!!!
Makes me even more excited to see what she captures at my birth!

From Whitney:

My second birth experience was quite different from my first. One, I wasn’t the one giving birth! Very good friends graciously gave me the chance to pursue a dream of mine, to be a birth photographer. I received a text message early Saturday morning, “Today might be the day!” I was so excited! I waited to hear more from the mom, but she had other things on her mind. They notified me when they were getting close to leaving for the hospital. At this point I was thinking, “ok, I am an hour away, but they would probably have a long day ahead of them.” It was 1:00pm. I was very nervous, but arrived at 2:20. The Mom was very focused and working hard. By 3pm she was already pushing!!! And at 3:11 Adella was born. It was a successful natural childbirth using the Bradley method - 11 hours and 20 minutes total.
In that moment I realized this was a calling. This is what I need to do with the talents God has blessed me with. There is nothing in this world that can compare to the moment when a parent meets their newborn baby. This is what I want to capture. Raw, natural, unconditional love between parents, between a child and a mother and father. 

If you or someone you know might be interested in having their birth captured, please have them call me at 979-540-7168. 

~Whitney Faske

www.faskephotography.com
Read Whitney's Birth Story Here

From the Proud Papa:

My wife wanted a natural birth. That's what we prepared for and we were blessed to have as textbook a birth as we could have ever hoped for. My Wife was an absolute champ through labor and delivery. She made it look easy but she swears it wasn't. Adella Pearl was born on 4/19/14 at 3:11 PM after about 11 hours of labor.

Whitney Faske agreed to document the birth for us and we weren't 100% sure we wanted a photographer in the room but decided to try it. We are both so glad we did. Whit did a fantastic job. Neither of us noticed her moving around the room and she got great pictures. Sales pitch over. 

me complaining

Everything is getting on my nerves....

Like my Husband....at night, before I go to bed, I set the thermostat to my preference for comfortable sleeping....then his sneaky ass turns it it up 4 or 5 degrees after I go to bed! Then, I wake up tossing & turning...uncomfortable & sweating and go turn it back down in the middle of the night.....every night we do this....cant he just give me this one??....AT LEAST WHILE I'M PREGNANT !!!!!

My Pets....A.K.A "the noisemakers"- they are quite possibly annoying me the most....at all times.  We'll start with my cat, Lima. Her annoying qualities mainly consist of relentless whining for food at 5:30am and 5:30pm and wanting to lay in my lap(on the belly), and hissing at my son. So it annoys me that she's hungry wants attention and doesn't like little people pulling her tail...maybe I'll give her a pass.  My dog Deets is ok, he just whines a lot when he see's me and licks my knees, gross.  My female dog, Lulu...she is the source of a lot of stress for me and I keep hoping I come home one day and she's just gone.  This dog barks non stop, at everything...all day..its enough to make a sane person crazy...let alone a crazy pregnant woman just lose it. If I give you my address will you please come steal my dog? No? You dont want a bob-barker? me neither. I need a bark collar that never looses its charge and I might be ok.  I told my Husband he better lock it up and get Lulu under control before the new baby gets here....or else.

People trying to help when my kid is whiny- I know this shouldn't annoy me but it really does...I mean really. I'm already frustrated and I just cant concentrate when I have another person make suggestions and offers and it just sounds like noise to me on top of hearing my whiny kid, ....I really just prefer to handle it myself and ask for help if I need it. Usually a change of scenery will calm him down and I can figure out whats wrong. I can handle it, just give me a minute!

Work- The restroom is just too far away from my desk...and by the time I make it back to my desk I have to go again....

Sleep- waking up every 2 hours to pee and having acid reflux all night long...and the temp thing we talked about earlier.

Comments- Why do I rarely get comments on my blog?? It must be broke, surely

Guest Post: Cheryl- Classes

 Upcoming Birth Boot Camp Classes with Cheryl Amelang:
www.darlingbirth.com

 Classes with  Ashlea Bruno:www.anindulgentbirth.com

The cost classes are $295 with a non-refundable $50 deposit required.  The balance of $245 is due on at the first.  The cost of the class includes the full-color field manual, Breastfeeding: the Ultimate MRE  DVD, weekly emails with additional reading, and a Birth Boot Camp tote bag for all your class goodies!

6 Ways You Can Afford A Childbirth Class

I often hear pregnant couples say they can't afford a childbirth class. They have doctor bills to pay, nurseries to decorate, and carseats to buy, a childbirth class is just not in the budget and why do they need it anyway? Women have been having babies for forever, what is there to know? Well, there's LOTS to know and you DO need it! Birth Boot Camp is a 10 week, comprehensive and up-to-date class that truly prepares couples for a natural childbirth and the postpartum period. Preparation is important. Here are 6 ways you CAN afford a childbirth class.

1. Learn how to keep costs down. Interventions cost money. Insurance coverage varies from policy to policy and may not fully cover all the extras, so keeping them to a minimum can benefit the bottom line. Avoiding unnecessary interventions also helps the course of labor and is beneficial to you and your baby. If interventions do become necessary, we teach you how to navigate your choices, risks vs benefits, and informed consent so you can feel confident that the best decisions were made for you and your baby. We also teach relaxation exercises and other pain management techniques that can greatly reduce your need or desire for pain medication during your labor. Saving money and making healthy decisions at every turn! Win!
   
   
2. Carefully choose your birth place. We give you the 411 on all of your birth place choices and the pros & cons of each. We talk about the medical & midwifery models of care, and the Mother-Friendly initiative. We discuss how your insurance can affect your choices and how to make decisions based on your needs, desires, and budget.
   
   
3. Stay healthy. We teach the benefits of nutrition and exercise during pregnancy, helping you to stay low risk. We give you a practical and easy to follow diet rich in a variety of whole foods. We also have an awesome exercise program to help prepare your body for labor and ease many discomforts of pregnancy. Staying healthy and low risks decreases your chances of needing costly tests and interventions. Again, keeping more money in your pocket for those cute cloth diapers you've been eyeballing!
   
   
4. Your wedding coordinator cost way more! In the same way your wedding coordinator knows the ropes of the wedding world and helped you prepare for your big day, your childbirth educator knows the ropes of the birth world and can help you prepare for the birth day of your baby. It is important to start building your network and she can help you make the connections you'll need for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. She can hook you up with natural friendly care providers, midwives, chiropractors, doulas, lactation consultants, La Leche League, and other resources in your community. Connecting with professionals can help you get the personalized care you need which can help you save money and/or avoid costly mistakes.  Your educator is a valuable resource to you.   It is also fun to connect with other couples in your class who are in the same boat as you!
   
   
5. One stop shopping. There is a lot that goes into preparing for birth and parenthood and there are lots of classes available to help you get ready. Birthing, breastfeeding, newborn care, cloth diapering, exercise, baby wearing, daddy prep, etc, etc. One could easily spend a several hundred dollars here and there attending these classes and it would be totally worth the expense but why not get it all in one class AND save money? Birth Boot Camp offers all of the above PLUS some in one series. Couples also receive a 3 hour breastfeeding DVD so you have something to reference over and over again throughout your breastfeeding career. You are fully prepared for labor, birth, and caring for a newborn (as much a new parent can be, anyway!)
   
   
6. Be creative!  If after all this classes still seem out of the budget then get creative. Some teachers will offer payment plans or even bartering part of the cost of class. Offer your services to her! There is one teacher who opens up one more spot in a full class and offers a discount on the "back row seats."  It's not the prime spot in class but the discount is easy on the wallet.  I encourage you to talk to your local instructor, be creative and see what you can work out!

Education is the key to having a great birth! Birth Boot Camp classes are a great way to get everything you need to be prepared and help you save money along the way. You CAN afford classes!

Happy budgeting!

Cheryl

www.darlingbirth.com